Forces on roller coaster doing a loop

AI Thread Summary
At the top of a roller coaster loop, riders experience both gravitational force (mg) acting downward and the normal force from the seat, which also points toward the center of the loop. The normal force is not the same as centripetal force; rather, centripetal force is the net force required to keep the coaster moving in a circular path. Both the gravitational force and the normal force contribute to this net centripetal force. It is important to recognize that while both forces act downward, they serve different roles in the dynamics of the loop. Understanding these forces is crucial for analyzing the physics of roller coasters.
UrbanXrisis
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When a roller coster does a loop, what forces do we feel at the top of the loop?

I think it's only the normal force. There is MG acting downwards, and also the normal force of the rollercoster seat that is pushing towards the center of the coster.

Is this normal force the same as the centripetal force?
 
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Are you saying that we only "feel" the net force. From the wording of the question, "what forces", I would think they wanted you to give all forces. There is a force of gravity, mg, straight down, that is the centripetal force. There is one other force you may be forgetting.
 
force of gravity and normal force? they both act downwards right?
 
Remember, that centripetal force is a role given to forces (or components of these forces) that act towards the center, on the case the rollercoaster is upside down on the tope of the loop, both the normal and the weight point to the -y axis.
 
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